Kevin Allred, a professor and doctoral student at Rutgers University, is now offering a course on Beyoncé, which will explore her ability to "effect social change," as well as compare her to the works of Bell Hooks, Alice Walker and Sojourner Truth!

He explains:

"She certainly pushes boundaries. While other artists are simply releasing music, she’s creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona. This isn’t a course about Beyoncé’s political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama’s inauguration weekend."

It actually sounds like a very fascinating and insightful look into the role of pop culture and its ability to effect people on a large scale!

This is outrages , comparing be-yawn-ce to black intellectuals like Bell Hooks & Alice Walker!? !?!?!?
Am sorry but this is some bullshit. These women used their intellect to achieve success in life , not their looks nor shimming an shaking half naked on stage in music video's. There are so few black women whom are respected for their intellect verses singing ability an how great they look. Michelle Obama still has to battle against the role of the angry black women by the media instead of the focus being she is a well educated women. For me this professor is really saying few black people make it to Be-yawn-ces level of success but that does not warrant a college level course on her.

Re: Nicco Street – My thoughts exactly. Effect social change? When? What a joke. Pretty offensive to compare her to the others. I'm sure students will sign up for it because it sounds like an easy, entertaining course.

They need a football team, too. She did make herself white on one of her albums. Now why would she do that to her young girls. I think that might make a good 10min. of a African American studies class. Or not.

I could think of a dozen artists who might be more worthy of study. An attempt to stay current, perhaps, but might be more suited in a journalism faculty. I guess you'd have to see the full outline to really judge like I just did.

When doctoral student wants to be called Dr. and they are not great thinkers but a little tenacious and a tiny ambitious. A Beyonce' thesis protects them from real academia. If you don't want to be scrutinized yell and scream it makes people look at you then away and they just want away from you. Justify the frivolous like it means s/thing. People just want to be diassociated with you and not be called racist or unhip. A nickel says Allred has watched the short lived but high regarded Jack and Bobby TV show (Cooper Bradley charc.) and that perez IS WRONG HE IS NOT a full professor if he is a doctoral student. That would be odd, a small school, no. If your doing your Doctoral on Beyo or Spiderman you are so smart you don't care ( not the case here, he is teaching a class), or you're being distracting with your subject. Good Luck

I'm really glad that someone pointed out that the name is in fact bell hooks… If you're going to make money off of your blogging, you should consider doing at least a little background research on the topics you're discussing. Also, proof reading your work for grammatical errors would be nice. Perez and all of his readers probably think that bell hooks is some 1970's singer they've never heard of…

Shane Redway -- a Canadian rapper and close friend of Drake's -- was killed early Saturday morning in a car crash. He was just 26 years old.

Redway and two others were killed when their car lost control, struck a guardrail and burst into flames. The crash occurred around 4am outside Pearson International Airport in Toronto. It's unclear who was behind the wheel. Police are investigating the crash.

Drake took to Instagram to remember Redway, posting two different tributes.